JPH11184246A - Process cartridge and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recover, in the case the process cartridge attachable/detachable to/from an image forming device main body is used up, unused developer without separating the cartridge into constituent parts and without entry of foreign matter from the container part of the cartridge. SOLUTION: The process cartridge which is attachable/detachable to/from the image forming device main body has a container-side unit 10 provided with a developer container 11 for storing developer, a developer carrier 14 for carrying the developer to an electrophotographic photoreceptor, and a supply opening 16 made in the container 11 near the developer carrier 14 in order to supply the developer to the developer carrier 14, and a container-side unit 10 provided with the electrophotographic photoreceptor. In the process cartridge, a recovery opening 17 is made in the developer container 11 separately from the supply opening 16 in order to recover the unused developer, and is shielded with a shield member 18 which is easy to detach.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc., which is detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body and which mounts the process cartridge and performs recording using a developer. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A process cartridge which is detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus such as a printer to facilitate maintenance has been put to practical use.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a conventional process cartridge.
This will be described below. In FIG. 6, the process cartridge 70 has a developing unit 50 and a drum unit 60.

[0004] The developing unit 50 has a container 54 for accommodating a toner as a developer.
And a cover member 56. The container member 55
An opening 52 for supplying a developer to a developing sleeve 51 as a developer carrier is formed in the vicinity, and components such as a developing sleeve 51 and a developing blade 53 as a developer carrier are provided in the vicinity of the opening 52. ing. A cover member 56 is provided on one side of the container member 55, and both are formed of resin or metal and fixed by high-frequency welding, screws, or the like, so that the container 55 is substantially sealed. .

The drum unit 60 includes a photosensitive drum 62
And an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive drum 62 as an electrophotographic photosensitive member by an electrophotographic method using a laser beam. The frame 61 is selectively provided with a roller 63 as a cleaning means for removing toner remaining on the photosensitive drum after the transfer process, a charging means (not shown) for charging the photosensitive drum, and the like.
Both the developing unit 50 and the drum unit 60 configured as described above are integrated, and are detachable from the image forming apparatus main body.

[0006] Such a process cartridge has been used for resource saving, energy saving,
There is a movement to recycle and reuse parts for the purpose of reducing garbage.

Therefore, it is necessary to collect the process cartridge after use of the developer, and to recycle, reuse and recycle parts, units and materials.

In the process cartridge, even after the developer in the process cartridge is used, it can be reused as long as it has a component or product life. For example, there are machine parts such as screws, metal parts, and plastic parts.

In addition, the charging roller, the developing sleeve, the transfer roller and the like can be recycled by reusing non-defective products after inspection and regenerating defective products. Consumable parts can be recycled (recycled) by supplementing them.

[0010] Further, a seal member for sealing the developer is attached to a container such as a developer container. This seal member is attached to the container with an adhesive by a urethane foam material, and since the mechanical tensile strength is lower than the adhesive strength, the seal member is not easily peeled off after the attachment. However, if the sealing member can be removed so that no residue remains in the container, the container can be recycled as a pure material.

Further, since some unused developer remains in the developer used process cartridge, this unused developer can be recycled.

[0012]

In the above-described process cartridge, in order to collect unused developer in the container 54 of the developing unit from the opening 52, the developing sleeve 51 and the developing blade 53 are used. Parts must be removed.

However, since the developer is reluctant to be mixed with impurities, it is necessary to carefully collect the unused developer from the opening 52 after carefully removing the above-mentioned components so as not to mix the impurities.

However, since some impurities are prevented from being mixed when the parts are removed, it is difficult to recover the pure unused developer, or the efficiency is reduced due to the careful operation. Was.

Further, even if the collecting opening for collecting the unused developer is mechanically worked, the cutting powder at the time of machining is mixed into the unused developer, and it is difficult to collect pure unused developer. become.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a process cartridge capable of efficiently collecting pure unused developer and an image forming apparatus for forming an image using the process cartridge. The purpose is to provide.

[0017]

In order to achieve the above object, a typical configuration according to the present invention is a developer container for storing a developer, and a developer carrier for transporting the developer to an electrophotographic photosensitive member. Body, a container unit having a supply opening formed in the container in the vicinity of the developer carrier for supplying a developer to the developer carrier, and a drum unit having an electrophotographic photosensitive member. A process cartridge detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus main body, wherein a collecting opening is formed separately from the supply opening in the developer container for collecting unused developer, and the collecting opening is easily removed. It is characterized by being shielded by.

According to the above construction, a developer collecting port is formed in the developer container separately from the supply port for supplying the developer to the developer carrier, and the collecting port is removed and shielded by a shielding member which can be easily removed. Therefore, when collecting the developer, it is possible to easily remove the shielding member and collect a pure unused developer free of foreign matter.

[0019]

[Embodiment 1] One embodiment of a process cartridge 40 according to the present invention has a developing unit 10 and a drum unit 30 as shown in FIG. Since this is the same as that described in the related art, the description is omitted.

Next, an example of an image forming apparatus for forming an image by detachably attaching a process cartridge in which the developing unit and the drum unit are integrated will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 100 has an optical unit 101, and a photosensitive drum 3 which is an electrophotographic photosensitive member is irradiated by a laser beam emitted from the optical unit.
In FIG. 1, an electrostatic latent image is formed by an electrophotographic method. The latent image is developed with a developer, that is, a toner, which is conveyed by a developing sleeve 14 of the developing unit, to form a toner image.

A transfer sheet 103 such as paper loaded on a cassette 102 serving as a sheet loading means
4. Registration roller pair 10 stopped by conveyance rollers
The sheet is fed into the nip portion 5 and the sheet is skewed. The registration roller pair conveys the transfer sheet to the transfer section while synchronizing the position of the toner image on the photosensitive drum and the front end of the transfer sheet.

In the transfer section, a transfer roller 106 as transfer means is opposed to the photosensitive drum 31, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum is transferred to a transfer sheet by the transfer roller. The transferred sheet is conveyed to pressing means including a heating roller 107a and a pressing roller 107b, where the toner image is heated and fixed on the transfer sheet.

The heat-fixed transfer sheet is discharged onto a discharge tray 109 by a discharge roller pair 108.

Next, an embodiment of the developing unit in the process cartridge according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1, the developing unit 10 has a developer container 11 for storing a developer, and the container 11 has a container member 12 and a cover member 13. Both the container member and the cover member are fixed and integrated by ultrasonic welding, bolting, etc., the container is closed, and the developer in the container is prevented from leaking to the outside.

A developing sleeve 14 as a developer carrier is rotatably supported on the container member 12 by a supporting means, and a developing blade 15 is provided. A supply opening 16 for supplying a developer to the developing sleeve is provided.

The developing sleeve 14 has a rotatable non-magnetic sleeve and a fixed magnet provided in the sleeve.
The developer in the container 11 is transported and adhered to the photosensitive drum of the drum unit from the opening 13 to visualize the latent image on the photosensitive drum.

The developer container 11 has a collection opening 17 separate from the developer supply opening 16 for collecting unused developer. The recovery opening 17
As shown in the figure, it is preferable that the developing unit is formed on an exposed wall portion of the container member 12 which is exposed when the developing unit 10 and the drum unit are integrated.

In the present embodiment, a shielding member 18 for shielding the collection opening 17 is attached to the collection opening 17 with an adhesive. The shielding member 18 is made of a resin or a metal material having a tensile strength greater than the adhesive strength of the adhesive.

Process cartridge 40 after use of developer
When the unused developer is collected from the unit 1, by simply peeling off the blocking member 18, the unused developer collection opening 17 is opened, and the unused developer can be collected by suction.
It is not necessary to disassemble the unit 0 and the drum side unit 30 and to remove other parts and units, and it is possible to collect pure developer free of foreign matter and to efficiently perform developer collection work. it can.

[Embodiment 2] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the developer container member 12 has an unused developer collecting opening 17 for collecting unused developer and a shielding member therefor. It is formed by engraving a weakened portion 19 having reduced mechanical strength during processing of the container member 12.
The weakened portion is formed by, for example, a thin portion having a V-shaped groove, and the thin portion can be formed continuously or intermittently.

Process cartridge 40 after use of developer
When the unused developer is collected from the container, the weakened portion 19 is simply destroyed by pressing the container portion of the collection opening 17 or the like.
The unused developer collecting opening 17 is opened, and can collect unused developer by suction. There is no need to disassemble the current unit 10 and the drum unit 30 or remove other parts and units. It is possible to collect a pure developer free of foreign matter, and to efficiently collect the developer. Further, in the case of the present embodiment, only by forming the weakened portion, the recovery opening of the developer and the shielding portion thereof can be formed, so that the production is simple and the number of parts can be minimized.

[Embodiment 3] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an unused developer collecting opening 17 of the developer container member 12 is formed, and the opening 17 shields the opening. Cover 20 is detachably mounted as described above. The shielding lid has a main body fitted into the opening and a flange 20a engaged with the outer surface of the container member, and is preferably made of an elastic resin.

In the present embodiment, when the unused developer is collected from the process cartridge 40 after the developer is used, only by removing the shielding cover 20, the unused developer collecting opening 17 is opened, and the unused developing agent is opened. The developer can be sucked and collected, and the developer can be efficiently collected without the necessity of disassembling the developing unit 10 and the cleaner unit 30 and removing other parts and units. Further, in the present embodiment, the collection opening can be shielded without using an adhesive with a single shielding lid, and the operation of closing the opening can be performed easily and cleanly.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In the developer container of the process cartridge, a collection opening for collecting the developer is provided separately from a supply opening for supplying the developer, and the collection opening is shielded by a shielding member. When collecting unused developer from the process cartridge, in the case of an adhesive blocking member using an adhesive, it is only necessary to peel off the shielding member, and the shielding member is formed by a weakened portion engraved on the container member. In this case, the weakened portion can be easily destroyed, and if the shielding member is constituted by a removable lid member in the collection opening, the unused developer collection opening can be easily removed simply by removing the lid member from the opening. There is no need to disassemble the developing unit and the drum-side unit and remove other members, and it is possible to collect pure unused developer without impurities, and such a disassembling operation is not required. It is possible to carry out the recovery work efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view of a developing unit of a process cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a development side container diagram of a process cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a development side container diagram of a process cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a developing-side container and a cleaner-side container of the process cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a developing-side container and a cleaner-side container of a conventional process cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Development side unit 11 ... Developing container 12 ... Container member 13 ... Cover member 14 ... Developing sleeve 15 ... Developing blade 16 ... Developer supply opening 17 ... Developer collection opening 18 ... Shielding member 19 ... Weakened part 20 ... Lid Member 30 ... Drum side unit 40 ... Process cartridge 50 ... Conventional developing side unit 51 ... Conventional developing sleeve 52 ... Conventional supply opening 53 ... Conventional developing blade 54 ... Conventional developer container 60 ... Conventional drum side Unit 70: Conventional process cartridge 100: Image forming apparatus 101: Optical unit 102: Sheet stacking means 103: Transfer sheet 104: Feeding means 105: Registration roller pair 106: Transfer means 107a: Heating roller 107b: Pressure roller 108: Paper discharge means

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A developer container for storing a developer, a developer carrier for transporting the developer to an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a developer carrier for supplying the developer to the developer carrier. A process cartridge having a container side unit having a supply opening formed in the container and a drum side unit having an electrophotographic photoreceptor and being detachable from an image forming apparatus main body, collects unused developer. A process cartridge, wherein a collecting opening is formed separately from the supply opening in the developer container, and the collecting opening is removed and shielded by an easy shielding member. 2. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the recovery opening is shielded by a shielding member having a tensile strength greater than an adhesive strength of the adhesive. 3. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the collection opening and the shielding member are defined by a weakened portion formed in the container member. 4. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the shielding member is a lid member detachably attached to the opening, and the opening is shielded by the lid member. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the shielding member has a main body fitted into the recovery opening and a flange engaged with an outer wall of the container member, and is made of an elastic resin. Process cartridge. 6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the recovery opening is formed in a portion exposed to the outside of the container when the developing unit and the drum unit are integrated. And process cartridge. 7. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said process cartridge is formed by integrally integrating a charging unit or a cleaning unit and an electrophotographic photosensitive member. 8. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the charging unit or the cleaning unit and the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally formed as a cartridge. 9. A process cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising: a mounting portion for mounting the process cartridge; and a feeding unit for feeding a transfer sheet to an image forming portion of the process cartridge. An image forming apparatus comprising: